Recaps

Killer B visited Konoha’s taijutsu training grounds and challenged Might Duy to a spar. After Killer B began to unleash a more dangerous power, Ye Feng stopped him, and the group left the training grounds.

• Minato Namikaze brought Killer B and Yugito Nii to watch the large crowd training, where they found Ye Feng and the Big Eaters Five.
• Kurenai Yuhi and Inuzuka Clan Fengyu questioned Ye Feng about Yugito Nii before Killer B asked Might Duy to spar.
• Might Duy accepted Killer B’s challenge and urged the onlookers to respect the effort taijutsu required.
• Killer B charged with lightning chakra, and Might Duy opened the second gate to evade and then trade blows with him.
• Killer B stopped the spar and began to raise orange chakra, but Ye Feng warned him not to unleash it in Konoha.
• Killer B thanked Might Duy for holding back, and Ye Feng led the group away as Kurenai Yuhi and Inuzuka Clan Fengyu flanked him.

Ye Feng hosted a barbecue on Hokage Rock, where the group devoured his skewers and even Orochimaru became engrossed in the food. After the adults took most of the food, Ye Feng revealed a whole roast lamb as his final surprise.

• Ye Feng suggested barbecue for dinner, and Minato Namikaze organized the group and invited Kushina Uzumaki, Might Duy, and his son.
• Ye Feng prepared a grill and charcoal while everyone gathered on Hokage Rock, where they set up a decorated canopy and arranged the food.
• The group rushed to devour Ye Feng's first batch of skewers, and Orochimaru quickly ate his share after tasting them.
• Tsunade and other adults took most of the second batch, leaving the children with few skewers, while Ye Feng let the adults have his companions' portions too.
• After Jiraiya and Tsunade had stuffed themselves, Ye Feng brought out a whole roast lamb and seasoned it until its aroma spread.

Ye Feng avoided his friends, then joined the Chunin Ninja Exams and realized Root had planted three candidates who knew the answers to the unusually difficult written test. The exam began with Ye Feng identifying the suspected stand-ins, while Shimura Danzō waited to see how his plan would unfold.

• Ye Feng shared roast lamb with his friends, while Jiraiya and Tsunade regretted filling their stomachs with grilled meat earlier.
• Killer B and the others came to Ye Feng's home the next morning, but found a note saying he had gone to seek a breakthrough; Ye Feng hid in the forest until exam day.
• Shimura Danzō confirmed that Root had arranged two operatives for a plan and told his subordinates to handle it carefully.
• Ye Feng arrived late at the Ninja Academy, where Yugito Nii loudly complained that he had sneaked away, provoking reactions from both villages' ninja.
• The Chief Examiner announced a difficult written test requiring every squad member to score above sixty, and Ye Feng noticed that ninety-nine candidates were present instead of the announced ninety-six.
• Ye Feng identified three extra candidates seated throughout the exam room and suspected they had been planted to help others answer the test.

Ye Feng used his abilities to help Kakashi Hatake and Uchiha Shinichi pass Konoha’s difficult written exam, while several other examinees obtained answers through their own techniques. Forty-five candidates advanced to the second exam in the Forest of Death, and Yugito Nii caught Ye Feng trying to slip away.

• The Third Hokage explained to Dodai that the written exam tested intelligence gathering, while Ye Feng’s unusually fast answers drew attention in the examination room.
• Ye Feng finished the test and used invisible threads to make Kakashi Hatake’s and Uchiha Shinichi’s pens write their answers.
• Ye Feng watched Yugito Nii use a tiny chakra mouse to gather answers and Yamanaka Keiko use the Mind Body Switch Technique, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio also completed their papers.
• The examiners announced that forty-five candidates from fifteen teams had passed and would take the second exam in the Forest of Death the next day.
• Yugito Nii spotted Ye Feng sneaking toward the exit and warned him not to slip away again.

Ye Feng escaped Yugito Nii and was caught by Minato Namikaze, who bargained for meals in exchange for keeping his secret. Their lunch was interrupted by Kushina Uzumaki and Ye Feng’s friends, and the chapter ended with Minato being allowed to join dinner while Ye Feng was left out.

• Ye Feng fled the examination room and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to reach a spot near Hokage Rock, where Minato Namikaze confronted him about learning the technique.
• Minato Namikaze and Ye Feng bargained over his silence and settled on four meals, beginning with lunch at Minato’s home.
• Kushina Uzumaki and Ye Feng’s friends arrived during lunch, caught the two men together, and ordered them to serve the group as punishment.
• Kushina Uzumaki invited Killer B and Yugito Nii for dinner, and Ye Feng and Minato prepared the meal but were barred from eating at the table.
• Kushina Uzumaki let Minato join the table after hearing his stomach growl, while Ye Feng remained behind in stunned disbelief.

Ye Feng entered the Forest of Death with his randomly assigned teammates, Kojima Nobukawa and Kamii Ran, and quickly found both types of scroll. After uncovering their attempt to kill him with Explosive Tags, he knocked them out and took them to Orochimaru's laboratory.

• The chief examiner explained that teams would be randomly reshuffled and would need both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll to reach the Tower before nightfall on the third day.
• Ye Feng drew team number eight with Kojima Nobukawa and Kamii Ran, who acted strangely and claimed they did not know each other.
• After entering the Forest of Death, Ye Feng used his divine sense to locate and obtain a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll.
• Kojima Nobukawa and Kamii Ran approached Ye Feng from behind, but he exposed their attack and knocked them unconscious.
• Ye Feng found many Explosive Tags on the two, suspected powerful people had sent them, and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take them to Orochimaru's laboratory.

Ye Feng captured the two ninja who attacked him, then staged a massive explosion to make Konoha believe he had died while he went to the Central Tower. As Konoha searched for him and the Third Hokage confronted Shimura Danzō, Ye Feng remained hidden in the tower, training as the second exam continued.

• Ye Feng delivered the unconscious attackers to Orochimaru for interrogation, warned him to keep them alive, and returned to the Forest of Death.
• Ye Feng detonated Explosive Tags and clothing to fake his death, then headed to the Central Tower with both the Heaven and Earth Scrolls.
• A Root ninja and the Chief Examiner found the blast site and reported the apparent deaths, prompting the Third Hokage to order a search and summon Shimura Danzō.
• The Third Hokage accused Shimura Danzō of arranging the attack, but Shimura Danzō denied involvement while the Third Hokage worried about whether Uchiha Yefeng had survived.
• Ye Feng trained unseen atop the Central Tower, entering a state in which he could move with the wind without leaving a trace of his presence.
• After a day of searching, Yugito Nii's team had collected four Earth Scrolls and no Heaven Scroll, leaving Yugito Nii furious.

As teams gathered near the central tower, Yugito Nii and Kakashi Hatake’s group tried to trade scrolls, triggering a free-for-all. Ye Feng watched from the tower as several teams fought their way inside, while the remaining competitors battled over the last scrolls.

• Kakashi Hatake, Uchiha Shinichi, and Leimu headed to the central tower after finding only one Heaven Scroll, while the Ino-Shika-Cho trio arrived early to seek their missing scroll.
• The Third Hokage received a report that Konoha Ninja had failed to find Uchiha Yefeng and the other two, and he decided to let the matter involving Shimura Danzō go for now.
• Yugito Nii challenged the hidden teams and agreed to trade scrolls with Leimu, but the waiting teams rushed out to stop the exchange and seize the scrolls.
• Yugito Nii, Kakashi Hatake, Uchiha Shinichi, and their teammates fought through the ambush, while Yugito Nii threw two Earth Scrolls into the sky and used Fire Rat Balls to block their pursuers.
• Akimichi Dingyuan cleared a path for Nara Shikahira and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio to enter the central tower, and Ye Feng watched the fighting from above.
• A powerful Kumogakure ninja and his teammates entered the tower, then a Hyuga Clan ninja won the final scroll and followed them inside.

Ye Feng returned after surviving an attempt by his teammates to kill him, then accused them before the Hokage and Advisors. As Danzō pushed to have Ye Feng imprisoned, Orochimaru arrived carrying two unconscious children whose identities seemed to alarm Danzō.

• Ye Feng emerged from the Tower with the scrolls and told the Chief Examiner that his teammates had tried to murder him, so he had dealt with them.
• The Chief Examiner brought Ye Feng to the Hokage Office, where the Third Hokage welcomed him and ordered an investigation into the exam’s manipulation and killings.
• Danzō questioned Ye Feng’s account and demanded that he be disqualified and confined in the Dungeon, while the Third Hokage argued that he should remain in the exam under supervision.
• Orochimaru entered carrying two unconscious children and tossed them to the floor, prompting Danzō to recognize a troubling possibility about who they were.

After a memory reading revealed that Shimura Danzō’s Root had trained children as suicide operatives, the Third Hokage ordered him to hand over Root’s roster and records. Ye Feng returned home, discovered his wind affinity had grown stronger, and hosted Orochimaru for dinner.

• Orochimaru urged the Third Hokage to have the two unconscious attackers’ memories read, and the Hokage sent them to the Analysis Team.
• The Analysis Team’s report revealed that more than a hundred orphans, including Konoha children, had been trained until only eleven remained as suicide operatives.
• The Third Hokage ordered Shimura Danzō to hand over every Root ninja’s roster and all Root activity records, and Danzō reluctantly agreed before leaving.
• Ye Feng found that his liquefied true qi had increased to nearly one-fifth and that he could form small whirlwinds with his strengthened wind affinity.
• Orochimaru visited Ye Feng, discussed Danzō and the failed effort to expose him, and stayed until Ye Feng realized he was hoping for dinner.

Ye Feng attended the Chunin preliminaries, where the sixteen Genin were set to compete for eight places in the final matches. As the first fight unfolded, Akimichi Dingyuan seemed to have the advantage over Hyuga Junin, but his chakra-heavy attacks left him at risk of losing if the match dragged on.

• The chief examiner explained the preliminaries and announced that the villages’ Kage and senior officials would watch the final matches.
• The screen paired Hyuga Junin with Akimichi Dingyuan, while the other competitors moved to the viewing platform.
• Fujiwara Inomura told Ye Feng that the Third Hokage had arrested several people, including two Jonin, after the attempted assassination; he then explained the incident to Kakashi Hatake, Uchiha Shinichi, Nara Shikahira, and Yamanaka Keiko.
• Akimichi Dingyuan enlarged his right hand and attacked Hyuga Junin, who dodged and maneuvered toward him.
• Dingyuan used the Human Bullet Tank to put distance between them, but Fujiwara Inomura warned that Dingyuan would lose if his chakra ran out before he could defeat Junin.

Hyuga Junin defeated Akimichi Dingyuan after their attacks left both fighters injured, and the next match revealed that Kuru could resist Yamanaka Keiko’s mind technique. Kuru stopped his punch just short of Keiko and declared her defeated, returning to the platform after his apparent victory.

• Akimichi Dingyuan used Shadow Clone Technique clones to launch faster Human Bullet Tanks at Hyuga Junin, who countered with Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin.
• Hyuga Junin rose after the collision while Akimichi Dingyuan failed to stand, so the chief examiner declared Hyuga Junin the winner.
• Yamanaka Keiko used Mind Body Switch Technique on Kuru, but his powerful mind forced her technique to fail.
• Kuru shattered Keiko’s kunai with his hands and charged her with blue chakra surrounding him.
• Kuru stopped his fist just short of Keiko’s face, declared that she had lost, and returned to the raised platform.

After the Chunin Ninja Exams’ finalists were decided, Ye Feng used a free day to leave Konoha with Minato Namikaze and search for a wild beast to raise as a summoning beast. Shimura Danzō ordered assassins to follow them and try to capture Ye Feng alive, while Ye Feng and Minato reached a primeval forest to begin their search.

• Ye Feng, Uchiha Shinichi, Kakashi Hatake, Yugito Nii, Leimu, Kuru, Hyuga Junin, and Nara Shikahira advanced to the finals, scheduled for three days later.
• Ye Feng cooked a celebratory dinner for his friends and invited Might Duy, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Killer B, and Yugito Nii.
• Ye Feng decided to raise his own summoning beast and persuaded Minato Namikaze to accompany him outside Konoha in exchange for a meal.
• Ye Feng told the Third Hokage he needed wild animal blood samples for research, and Minato’s assurances helped them obtain permission to leave the village.
• Shimura Danzō sent two Blood Moon squads to follow Ye Feng and Minato, ordered them to find a chance to kill them, and instructed them to capture Ye Feng alive if possible.
• Ye Feng and Minato arrived at a primeval forest in the Land of Fire, where Ye Feng began considering which beast to raise.

Ye Feng and Minato Namikaze faced an ambush by six Root ninja sent by Danzo. Ye Feng redirected their combined Fire and Wind Release into a tornado that killed two attackers, while the four survivors remained.

• Ye Feng sensed six masked ninja following them and told Minato Namikaze to leave before returning with Flying Thunder God when the attackers struck.
• Minato Namikaze pretended to go catch a beast, and the two Blood Moon Squad leaders debated whether the chance to ambush Ye Feng was a trap before ordering their men forward.
• The six ninja surrounded Ye Feng and demanded he come with them, while Minato Namikaze returned and accused Danzo of ambushing Konoha ninja.
• The blue Demon Mask leader attacked Ye Feng, but Minato Namikaze deflected his strike as the others launched combined Fire and Wind Release.
• Ye Feng controlled the wind to turn the attack into a tornado of fire and wind, killing two Root ninja and sending the remaining four dodging for safety.

Ye Feng and Minato Namikaze defeated a Root squad sent to ambush them, and Ye Feng secretly took the surviving squad leader to Orochimaru. After finding no more attackers, Ye Feng spotted a horned blue wolf fighting a bear to protect its newly hatched pup.

• Ye Feng unleashed a fire-and-wind tornado, then killed a Root ninja with a single punch as Minato Namikaze stopped the squad leader from escaping with a Rasengan.
• The two remaining Root ninja killed themselves, while Minato Namikaze sealed away the five bodies and Ye Feng claimed the unconscious squad leader.
• Ye Feng bet Minato Namikaze that Shimura Danzō would keep his position, then took the survivor to Orochimaru and ordered him kept alive.
• Ye Feng and Minato Namikaze searched for more threats and suitable beasts, and Ye Feng discovered a blue horned wolf battling a bear near its newborn pup.

Ye Feng killed the brown bear that had mortally wounded a wolf-like beast and rescued her cub, whom he named Garurumon. After burying the mother, Ye Feng told Minato Namikaze that his unfamiliar power was natural energy, leaving Minato eager to learn Sage Mode from Jiraiya.

• Ye Feng reached the cave and killed the brown bear with a blast of true qi, shocking Minato Namikaze, who sensed that the power was unlike chakra.
• Ye Feng carried the cub out of the cave and brought her to her dying mother, promising to keep her safe.
• The wolf-like beast nudged her cub before dying, and Ye Feng named the cub Garurumon as he held her.
• Minato Namikaze helped Ye Feng place the mother's body in a grave, which Ye Feng filled and reinforced with true qi.
• Minato Namikaze asked about Ye Feng's power, and Ye Feng called it natural energy and described it as a form of Sage Mode.
• Minato Namikaze resolved to ask Jiraiya to teach him Sage Mode the next time they met.

After returning to Konoha, Minato Namikaze reported that five Root ninja had attacked him and Uchiha Yefeng, but the Third Hokage avoided promising to punish Shimura Danzō. The Third Hokage confronted Danzō with the evidence and summoned the Advisors, leaving them to debate the assassination attempt and Minato's strength.

• Minato Namikaze and Uchiha Yefeng returned to Konoha after placing Flying Thunder God Marks near the main gate.
• Minato Namikaze showed the Third Hokage the bodies of five Jonin and identified them as probable Root ninja.
• The Third Hokage kept the bodies and dismissed Minato Namikaze without ordering Shimura Danzō's arrest.
• The Third Hokage summoned Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzō to his office.
• Shimura Danzō denied knowing the attackers and claimed someone had imitated Root's uniforms and Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal.
• The Third Hokage told the Advisors that Minato Namikaze had killed three attackers while two had killed themselves.

The Third Hokage punished Shimura Danzō lightly for the Root attack on Uchiha Yefeng and ordered him to reveal withheld names. Minato Namikaze met Jiraiya, who explained the Third Hokage’s history with Danzō and urged Minato to become the next Hokage if he wanted change.

• The Third Hokage sentenced Shimura Danzō to a year of confinement and warned him to disclose every name he had withheld.
• Shimura Danzō sent a subordinate to find Blood Shadow and determine whether he was alive or dead.
• Minato Namikaze startled Jiraiya at a Hot Spring bathhouse, then met him by a river and explained the Root attack and the Third Hokage’s response.
• Jiraiya told Minato Namikaze that the Third Hokage’s guilt over their past made him lenient toward Shimura Danzō, and said he and Tsunade had left Konoha after arguing with him.
• Jiraiya advised Minato Namikaze to grow stronger and become the next Hokage if he wanted to change things.

Minato Namikaze resolved to pursue the Fourth Hokage position after Jiraiya encouraged him, while Ye Feng visited Inuzuka Clan Fengyu's family to seek help for Garurumon. Fengyu's mother found no serious problem with Garurumon and went to feed her, leaving Ye Feng alone with Fengyu and her suspicious father.

• Jiraiya encouraged Minato Namikaze to seek the Hokage position and promised to handle Orochimaru, so Minato Namikaze resolved to become the Fourth Hokage.
• Ye Feng carried the listless Garurumon to Inuzuka Clan Fengyu's home, where Fengyu greeted him happily and her father eyed him with jealousy.
• Ye Feng charmed Fengyu's mother with compliments while Fengyu's father resolved to keep her away from him.
• Ye Feng explained Garurumon's history to Fengyu and her parents, and Fengyu's mother examined the pup and said she was likely weak from not eating.
• Fengyu's mother left to get animal milk for Garurumon, while Ye Feng remained in the room under Fengyu's father's wary stare.

Ye Feng cared for Garurumon for two days and brought her to the Chunin Ninja Exams official matches because she would not leave his arms. The Third Hokage opened the matches, and Hatake Sakumo appeared as Chief Examiner to welcome the competitors.

• Fengyu's mother gave Ye Feng sealed bottles of animal milk for Garurumon, and he stayed for dinner at Fengyu's home.
• Ye Feng spent two days feeding and caring for Garurumon as she grew attached to him and shied away from everyone else.
• Ye Feng brought Garurumon to the exam venue, where Minato Namikaze, Fujiwara Inomura, and the other participating ninja gathered.
• The Third Hokage and the Third Raikage arrived, and the Third Hokage declared the official matches underway.
• Hatake Sakumo appeared in the arena, introduced himself as Chief Examiner, and welcomed the competing ninja.

Uchiha Shinichi fought Yugito Nii in the first match of the main tournament, where her Two-Tails chakra gave her the advantage. After Shinichi defended against several attacks with a trick shuriken and the Rasengan, he revealed Chidori, surprising Ye Feng and Kakashi Hatake.

• Hatake Sakumo announced the tournament bracket and said the winner would receive one wish granted by their Kage.
• Uchiha Shinichi faced Yugito Nii and attacked first with Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique, which Yugito Nii tore apart using Two-Tails chakra.
• Uchiha Shinichi's transforming shuriken cut Yugito Nii, but her wound quickly healed as she unleashed a chakra tail and claw attacks.
• Uchiha Shinichi dodged Yugito Nii's chakra tail and blocked her claws with the Rasengan before pulling away.
• Uchiha Shinichi formed Chidori, surprising Ye Feng and Kakashi Hatake.

Uchiha Shinichi lost to Yugito Nii after exhausting himself in a fierce fight, and Uchiha Yefeng began his match against Hyuga Junin. Ye Feng used Tai Chi to counter the Hyuga’s Gentle Fist and left Junin struggling to keep up.

• Uchiha Shinichi’s Chidori failed to break through Yugito Nii’s chakra shield, and he lost when her claws stopped before his eyes.
• Uchiha Shinichi and Yugito Nii left the field as the spectators applauded their fight.
• Uchiha Yefeng and Hyuga Junin began the next match, with Ye Feng telling Yugito Nii that Garurumon would be safe.
• Hyuga Junin activated his Byakugan and attacked with Gentle Fist, but Ye Feng caught his first strike and later deflected his palms with Tai Chi.
• Hyuga Hiashi stood up in astonishment as Ye Feng countered Gentle Fist, then Ye Feng swept Junin off his feet and struck him in the chest.

Hyuga Junin surrendered to Ye Feng after learning from their exchanges, and Kakashi Hatake faced Leimu in the next match. Kakashi injured Leimu with an Explosive Tag, but Leimu activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode and attacked at high speed, leaving Kakashi barely able to track him.

• Hyuga Junin improved by fighting Ye Feng, then surrendered when Hatake Sakumo stopped their unsanctioned lesson.
• Hyuga Hiashi sent for the head of the Hyuga Clan because Ye Feng's encounter with Junin could affect the clan's future.
• Kakashi Hatake and Leimu began their match, with Kakashi pressing the attack and forcing Leimu to defend cautiously.
• Kakashi Hatake used kunai and an Explosive Tag to burn Leimu's right arm, then urged him to surrender.
• Leimu activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode and attacked Kakashi Hatake with lightning and bursts of speed.
• Kakashi Hatake barely blocked Leimu's strike and managed to track his rapid movements.

Kakashi Hatake defeated Leimu in a brutal match, and Ye Feng confirmed that both fighters would recover, though Kakashi could not compete again soon. Kuru then gained the upper hand against Nara Shikahira, who trapped him with his Shadow Imitation Technique and prepared to finish the match.

• Kakashi Hatake endured Leimu's attacks, landed a Rasengan, and won after both fighters were badly wounded.
• Hatake Sakumo declared Kakashi Hatake the winner, and medical personnel carried Kakashi Hatake and Leimu away unconscious.
• Ye Feng examined both fighters and found that neither was in life-threatening danger, though Leimu needed a long recovery and Kakashi could not fight in the next match.
• Kuru evaded Nara Shikahira's shadows and pelted him with weapons, driving him into a corner as spectators threw objects into the arena.
• Nara Shikahira drew Kuru into a large patch of shade, caught him with the Shadow Imitation Technique, and prepared to slam his head against the wall.

Kuru defeated Nara Shikahira with Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and Ye Feng faced Yugito Nii in the next match. Yugito’s Partial Tailed Beast Transformation pushed Ye Feng into opening the Third Gate, leaving their fight unresolved.

• Kuru activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode, broke Nara Shikahira’s control, and defeated him with a punch.
• Yugito Nii entered the Combat Arena to fight Ye Feng, who left Garurumon with Minato Namikaze before joining her.
• Yugito Nii transformed into her partial Tailed Beast state and attacked Ye Feng with claws and volleys of Fire Rat Balls.
• Ye Feng emerged unharmed from Yugito Nii’s flames, but her growing speed and chakra use eventually left bloody scratches on his back.
• Ye Feng drove Yugito Nii back and opened the Third Gate of the Eight Gates Released Formation.